FOOTHILL CLASSIC: Smith family sends Arbor View to tournament semifinals

Call it family ties. Call it two talented players on one boys basketball team.

Whatever it is, Arbor View’s Comillion Smith scored a game-high 23 points Monday, and his cousin, Sevonyea Smith, collected 10 rebounds to help power the Aggies past Chaparral 83-69 in the Foothill Holiday Classic.

“Comillion Smith is so athletic, he can create his shot, he can knock down the open 3,” Arbor View coach Dustin Clayton said. “Sevonyea Smith is really starting to step up on the rebounding game, which is exactly where we need help.

“Those two can help out big.”

Sevonyea Smith, a junior center, only scored six points, but it was his defense that kept the Aggies in it early. Chaparral got out to a 23-16 lead, but Sevonyea Smith managed seven rebounds in the half that ended in a 35-35 draw. On the other side of halftime, it was his 10th rebound and put-back with 4:35 left in the second half to put Arbor View up 66-56, at that point its biggest lead of the game.

While Sevonyea Smith helped Arbor View keep Chaparral off the board, his cousin helped the Aggies pull away. Comillion Smith, a junior guard, was a little slow out of the gate, but scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half. His dunk with 13:41 remaining that set the tone for a half in which the Aggies outscored the Cowboys 48-34.

Then with 1:40 left and Chaparral trying to claw back into the game, Comillion Smith drilled a 3-pointer that deflated the Chaparral bench and sent the Aggies to the semifinals.

“I took some good shots, some of them went in, some of them didn’t,” Comillion Smith said. “We came out with the win, that’s all that matters.”

Arbor View junior guard Jarrod Burks scored 17, and senior guard Elijah Westall had 15 points for the Aggies. Senior guard Samuel Porras led Chaparral with 16 points, and junior forward Marcus Hilliard had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Arbor View will play Ranch0 at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. The winner will advance to play the winner of Foothill and Cimarron-Memorial for the championship.

“We have to get better in a few areas, but we can keep advancing if we play with the energy and effort that we’re capable of,” Clayton said.

Foothill 98, Jurupa Hills (Calif.) 73 — Thirteen Falcons scored points, including four in double digits, as they routed the Spartans.

Dylan Hushaw led Foothill with 16 points. Jace Roquemore, Mauricio Smith and Marvin Coleman each had 11 points.

Daniel Soto led all scorers with 38 points for Jurupa Hills.

Cimarron-Memorial 84, Montgomery (Calif.) 43 — Demarco Alexander scored a game-high 34 points to help the Spartans rout the Aztecs.

Kamakana Winquist and Brian Washington each supplied 12 points for the Spartans.

Kyla Paranada scored 14 for Montgomery, and teammate Timothy Crawford had 12 points.

Rancho 71, Basic 58 — Justin Holiday scored 32 points as the Rams defeated the Wolves.

Dayshawn Robinson added 13 points for the Rams.

Basic’s B.J. Wilson had 17 points, and Cris Dominguez scored 10 for the Wolves.

Del Sol 59, Valley 31 — Jonathan Spearman and Nati Asfaw each scored 15 as the Dragons defeated the Vikings.

Bryce Jones scored 11 to lead Valley.

Army-Navy (Calif.) 81, Tech 68 — Jurelle Orbino’s 19 points for the Roadrunners were not enough as they fell to Army-Navy.

Dylan Sanglay scored 13 for Tech, and teammate Gary Johnson added 10 points.

Army-Navy’s Richard Polanco led all scorers with 31 points.